Card table cover



Aug. 14, 1934. s. J. JOHNSON- CARD TABLE COVER Filed Oct. 12, 1932INVENTORQ ATTORN EYS Patented Aug. 14, 1934 PATENT OFFICE CARD TABLECOVER Samuel J. Johnson, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to ClopayCorporation, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October12, 1932, Serial No. 637,566

3 Claims.

The subject matter of this invention is a paper fibre card table coverwhich is a new and useful article of manufacture by reason of itsstructure, design, and texture, which are coordinated to suit theproblems and convenience of the manufacturer, the merchandiser, and theuser.

Paper card table covers have been frequently suggested and patented inthe past, but few have ever been used practically, for the reason thatthe articles suggested in the past have not been attractive andconvenient. The general idea of paper card table covers in the past hasbeen merely the provision of a cheap article which could be thrown awaywithout much loss at the end of a given session of card playing.

The idea of the present invention is to provide a paper fibre card tablecover which affords the surface of the table better protection than thecloth or paper covers heretofore used, particularly against the everpresent hazard of drinks spilled as a result of the instability of thetable. It is the intention of the present invention, likewise, to supplya card table cover which is more conveniently applied to the table thanprevious covers, whether cloth or paper, which have been used assuggested in the past.

One great trouble with the idea of using paper card table covers in thepast has been the fact that most varieties of commonly used paper make acard playing surface highly unpleasant to the touch, and likewisediiiicult to play on because of the tendency of the cards to stick to iteither by reason of high coefficient of friction between the cards andthe card table cover, or a tendency of the cards to stick to the coverby reason of partial vacuum created between the cards and the cover.

Another great trouble with the idea of paper card table covers is thefact that most paper tends to curl, crumple, or crease, thereby makingit almost impossible to pack or store the card table cover and stillhave anything fit to play on at the time of use.

The outstanding prerequisite to a successful paper card table cover isthat it may be sold at a reasonable price, such as ten cents retail.Most of the five and ten cent stores use accounting systems wherein anitem must yield a profit in relation to the space it occupies in thestore, and it is therefore assential that a high class, tough, moistureresistant card table cover, manufactured from paper fibre be packable invery .small space on the store shelves or display counters in order toprovide at once the high Other objects and further advantages will bemore fully apparent from a description of the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the card table cover in packagedcondition, certain parts being broken away for detail illustration.

Figure 2 is a plan View of the cover showing it applied to a card table.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on line 3-3, Figure 2, showingthe attachment device at the corner of the cover in relation to thetable.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken on line 44, Figure 3, furtherillustrating the attach-- ment device.

The material itself used for the fibre card table cover is a sheet 5 ofrelatively heavy, tough, embossed or creped paper stock, finished to behighly moisture resistant.

At each one of the four corners of this sheet 5, which is preferablysquare, inasmuch as most card tables are square, is a reinforcingcardboard member 6 which is preferably secured to the sheet by stapling7. This reinforcing member is preferably constituted by diagonallyfolding a square relatively heavy piece of cardboard upon itself intothe form of a triangle, its free corners 8 being disposed toward thecenter of the sheet. The sheet 5 has its corners folded over and turnedunder the diagonal or folded edge of the member 6, the staples 7 passingthrough the sheet and member 6. A tension member, such as a rubber band9, is secured to this reinforcing member, preferably passing between thestaple and the diagonal fold of the reinforcing member along and withinthe fold.

When the card table cover is fastened to the card table, by passing therubber band 9 over each corner of the card table, (see Figure 3) it isheld taut upon the card table, which tends to decrease any tendency towrinkle or fold It will be observed that these tension members functionas such for the reason that the corner reinforcing members to which thetension members are attached are positioned on the sheet constitutingthe cover so that it falls just short of the corner. Therefore therubber band looped over the corner pulls the reinforcing member towardthe corner,thereby tending to obliterate all lines of fold to which thecover" may have been subjected.

Figure l discloses the card table cover in packed condition. It is to benoted that it is folded upon itself into compact form, wrapped: intransparent regenerated cellulose 10, and the package stifiened by apiece elf-cardboard 11 on which the name of the article, the price, andt-he complimentary legends may be printed. The cardboard 11 isapertured: asgat 12: inthe; form of a diamond which is representative ofa perspective view of a card table top, the remainder of the table beingdrawn. on, the cardboard as at 13. Thus the table cover fills out thetop surface of the table picture and the paper design and color are thusdisplayed.

The sheet of paper fibre is preferably very heavy and has the creping orembossingrunning transversely to the grain, whereby the tendencyto curl.or hold the creases occasi'oned' by the method ofcompact packaging isvery materially reduced. The creping, or embossing isindicated, by thelines, 14., The grain since it is. not readily visible is indicated, ast0- direction, by the double headed arrows in Figures Zand l.v

The materialhas a very hard finish which enablesthe cards to slide, overit very easily and, lightly, and the presence of the creping orembossing prevents adhesion of the cards to. the cover by reason ofsuction. The very unusual effectiveness and" utility of. the article isconsti.-.

tuted by the combination of, the heavy moisture resistant, non-creasingpaper fibre sheetandi the,

tension imposing fastening means which reduce still further the tendencyof the cover, while in use, to crease as a result of the condition whichit was in while packed.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A new article of manufacture, comprising, a card table cover formedof a creped sheet of heavy;moistureresistant paper fibre, and means forseeming said sheet to the card table, said means adapted to place saidsheet, when in position on the table, under tension.

2: A card table cover, comprising, a heavy sheet. of; paper fibre, areinforcing member stapled to it at each corner, said reinforcingmemberconstituted. by a piece of cardboard diagonally folded upon itselfto form a triangle with the fold positioned to face the corner of hetable; towhich the cover is to be applied, and a. rubber band held byeach reinforcing member between the fold and the staple which securesthe member to the cover, the cover. proportioned. in, relation to-thecard table so. that the, reinforcing member fallsshort. of the cornerof. the card. table. and the rubber band when looped, over the corner ofthe cardv table secures the cover to it under substantial lateraltension adapt dto reduce the tendency of the cover to crease as a resultof. having been folded for merchandising expediency.

3. As a new article, of manufacture, acard table cover,.comprising, asubstantially rectangu-- lar sheet of hard finish, tough, moisture re-.

sistant paper creped transversely to.- the grain.

thereof, reinforcing members one at each corner of said sheet of paper,andv rubber, bands, one associated. with each reinforcing member, saidrubber bands adapted to hold said; sheet to the card table and to imposea. lateral tension on, the sheet to reduce creasing and fold lines.

SAMUEL J J OHNSONL.

